1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a carbonated beverage dispenser.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a carbonated beverage dispenser located entirely out of sight below a counter.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,550 to Gilbey relates to apparatus which can be connected to a cylinder containing CO.sub.2 so that water, still wines, milk, and soft drinks of all kinds can be aerated.
At present it is normally customary to provide the gas in what can be termed "commercial" types of cylinders which are large and bulky and not easy to handle.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,550 to Gilbey teaches a portable free standing or wall mounted aerating apparatus which is inexpensive to construct and simple to operate, and which can be used in the home and small establishments in combination with a comparatively small cylinder for the gas that has an outlet valve which can be readily connected to a gas cylinder holder of the apparatus, and which is actuated by means provided on the latter.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,473 to Gilbey relates to portable apparatus for carbonating water, suitable for use, for example, in homes, offices, restaurants, and bars.
In the first category, a bottle containing water is mounted in the machine and water is carbonated in the bottle which is then removed from the apparatus. Apparatus of this type is described, for example, in British Patent Specification No. 145 3363 and has been widely marketed in Great Britain and elsewhere.
In the second category of apparatus, the apparatus includes a pressure vessel and a header tank. The vessel has a valved bottom inlet to admit fresh water from the header tank to the pressure vessel. A valved outlet in an upper region of the vessel is provided for discharging carbonated water. And an injection nozzle for admitting CO.sub.2 under pressure.
Fresh water is carbonated within the vessel and the outlet and inlet are opened to admit fresh water from a header tank to the bottom inlet. The fresh water displaces the carbonated water upwardly in the vessel and through the outlet. This type of apparatus is described, for example, in British Patent Specification No. 392,750.
In the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 392,750, the inlet and outlet valve members take the form of poppet type, which face sealing valves which are spring loaded against their respective valve seats. Because the valves must resist the pressure generated in the vessel during carbonation, it is necessary for the spring acting on the outlet valve to be sufficiently powerful to resist the pressure tending to blow the valve off its seating. This in turn means that a correspondingly large force must be applied to open the valve when the carbonated water is to be discharged, with the result that the apparatus may be difficult to operate by a woman or child, unless, of course, a somewhat complex mechanism is designed to provide a suitable mechanical advantage. The mechanism is in any case slightly complicated by the need to provide lost motion between the two valves, so that the outlet will always be opened in advance of the inlet.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,473 to Gilbey teaches a portable apparatus for carbonating water, and which includes a pressure vessel and a header tank. The vessel has a valved bottom inlet to admit fresh water from the header tank to the pressure vessel. And a valved outlet in an upper region of the vessel for discharging carbonated water. And an injection nozzle for admitting CO.sub.2 under pressure. The inlet and outlet valves take the form of pistons which are rigidly connected together to form a unitary plunger that has equal areas exposed within the pressure vessel, so that the plunger is substantially pressure balanced.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,551 to Adolfsson et al. relates to an appliance for making an aerated beverage.
Appliances have been proposed for making aerated beverages in the home. One known form of such an appliance includes a casing that has means for mounting a container of pressurized carbon dioxide on the casing. A manually operable valve is provided to control the outflow of carbon dioxide from this container. A nozzle is connected to the valve to receive carbon dioxide from the valve. And means are provided for mounting a bottle that contains water in such a way that the nozzle is immersed in the water in the bottle. The appliance also includes an overpressure safety valve which can communicate with the interior of the bottle.
The means for mounting the bottle include a shatterproof housing, made of metal and which surrounds the bottle. This shatterproof housing is being pivotally mounted on the casing. The bottle is inserted into the shatterproof housing in such a way that the depending nozzle extends into water in the bottle. The housing is pivoted to a vertical position and a lever is operated to lift, by means of a cam, a table which urges the bottle upwardly against a stopper within the shatterproof housing.
With the bottle so mounted, the manually operate valve is actuated and carbon dioxide is projected through the nozzle into the water and goes into solution. When the pressure reaches a preset value, the safety valve opens which usually makes a buzzing sound to indicate that the bottle can be removed.
In order to remove the bottle, the lever is actuated again so that the table is lowered and the housing is then pivoted out and the bottle removed. The aerated drink can simply be soda water or can have added to it a suitable flavoring concentrate or syrup to provide drinks such as cola, tonic water, etc.
These appliances are reasonably satisfactory, but they do require several operations before an aerated beverage can be made.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,551 to Adolfsson et al. teaches an appliance for making an aerated beverage including a casing. Means for mounting the container of pressurized carbon dioxide in the casing. A manually operable valve to control the outflow of carbon dioxide from the container. A nozzle connected to the manually operable valve to control the outflow of carbon dioxide from sad container. A nozzle connected to sad manually operable valve to receive carbon dioxide from the valve. Means for mounting a bottle containing water so that the nozzle is immersed in the water in the bottle. A flexible diaphragm surround the upper end of the nozzle. A stopper carried by the diaphragm and closes the neck of the bottle when so mounted. A space formed above the diaphragm communicating with the interior of the bottle when mounted with the stopper in its neck. The upwardly projected area of the diaphragm forms a wall of the space being greater than the downwardly projected area of the stopper. The pressure of the carbon dioxide urges the stopper into engagement with the neck of the bottle. And an overpressure safety valve communicates with the space above the diaphragm.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,710 to Adolfsson et al. relates to an apparatus for aerating a liquid, such as water, and flavored water, for preparing aerated beverages.
Several apparatus to be used for this purpose are previously known. All of which include a stand and a sealing member for sealing the mouth of a glass bottle during the aeration process. Carbon dioxide is supplied to the interior of the bottle through a pipe extending through the sealing member, and aerates the contents in the bottle.
At one such known apparatus, which is disclosed in GB-PS 1 468 469, a sealing member includes a rubber cone movable against the pressure from a spring, is positioned in the upper portion of a cylinder, which is hingedly attached in the stand to its upper portion. The cylinder constitutes a protection against bursting. The glass bottle is inserted from below into the cylinder, in that the cylinder is swung outward so that its lower end is located outside the stand. Thereafter the cylinder is swung inward to the stand to a substantially vertical position whereafter the bottle is pressed against the resilient sealing member due to co-operation of the bottle with a supporting surface on the stand.
The protection against bursting is extremely important. Glass bottles that have been used and reused may be damaged or have material defects, which may cause the bottle to burst to pieces at the aerating process, which takes place at a relatively high pressure.
This known apparatus, however, has the disadvantage that when the high pressure in the bottle during the aerating process has not been vented sufficiently, the bottle at the outward pivotal movement of the cylinder for removing the bottle will be pushed out of the cylinder with great force and may injure the operator.
A serious risk involved with the known apparatus in this connection is, that children handling the apparatus at home my pivot the cylinder outward when the bottle is under pressure, whereby the bottle is ejected from the cylinder with very great force.
A further disadvantage is, that it is relatively difficult to insert the bottle, because the mouth of the bottle must be fitted against the sealing member, which is not visible at the moment of insertion. The bottle, moreover, may easily be dropped when it is to be removed from the cylinder.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,710 to Adolfsson et al. teaches an apparatus including a stand in which space is assigned for a glass bottle and for a gas tube containing carbon dioxide, and a sealing member for sealing the mouth of a glass bottle during the aeration process. Through which sealing member a pipe for carbon dioxide extends and opens beneath the sealing member.
At the space assigned for the glass bottle a bursting protection is provided, which is movable upward and downward relative to the stand and to a glass bottle positioned as intended. Bursting protection in its upper position permits free placement of a bottle standing in a place assigned for this purpose in the lower portion of the stand. And which in its lower position entirely encloses a bottle thus positioned. And the sealing member is located in the upper portion of the bursting protection and capable to be caused to seal against the mouth of a bottle only when the bursting protection is in its lower position.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,762 to Child et al. relates to an appliance for making an aerated beverage.
One form of device for making an aerated beverage, for example, such as described in British Pat. No. 1453367 and also in an Application published under No. 2026882. The device includes a casing in which is enclosed a container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide and is connected thereto by a manually operable valve. An elongate nozzle which is either permanently angle downwardly and forwardly or is pivotally pivotable between such a position and the vertical position. The bottle which is partly filled with water is moved upwardly relative to the nozzle so that the nozzle is immersed in the water, with the nozzle in the inclined position. The bottle is held in position with its neck against the stopper at the top of the nozzle after pivoting the nozzle to the vertical position. The appliance also includes a shatterproof housing which surrounds the bottle when it is in position around the nozzle.
The manually operated valve is actuated a few times and carbon dioxide gas is thus introduced into the water. A safety valve is provided which releases any excess pressure which may occur in the bottle. The bottle is then removed from the appliance and its contents are either used in this form as soda water, or a concentrate flavoring syrup is added to obtain an aerate beverage, such as lemonade, tonic water, and cola, etc.
Such an apparatus is generally satisfactory but the amount of carbon dioxide used can be in excess of that which is necessary to aerate the beverage. The reason for this is that it is customary for the bottle to be filled with water to a level so that the water occupies about three quarters of the total volume of the bottle. This reduces the chance of the mixture of the aerated water and syrup effervescing over the neck of the bottle which would clearly be both wasteful and messy. The space above the water, however, becomes filled with pressurized carbon dioxide which is subsequently wasted when the bottle is removed from the stopper.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,762 to Child et al. teaches an appliance that has, associated with the nozzle, a displacement body which is capable of being passed into the neck of the bottle and which will displace a significant volume of air and/or water, so that when the bottle is in position, with the nozzle and displacement body therein, the level of the water is such as to leave only a small volume of air thereabove.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,081 to Mabb relates to portable apparatus for aerating liquids.
In known apparatus which is disclosed in British patent No. 1,453,363, a bottle containing liquid to be carbonated is, after being loaded into the machine, raised into sealing engagement with an aerating head, by a platform. The platform itself is lifted by a cam mechanism which is mounted within the machine casing and is rotated by means of a handle with the cam shaft outside the housing. The platform has an integral rigid stem which bears against the cam. As the handle is turned to raise the bottle, the cam rotates lifting the platform and bottle until the top of the bottle bears against the seal of the aerating head. Continued turning of the handle to its limit position causes further rotation of the cam, but because the bottle and platform cannot be raised any further, the cam is deflected downwardly. When the bottle is pressurized during the carbonating process, the gas pressure generated in the air space above the liquid in the bottle produces an additional downward force on the bottle and its supporting platform with the result that the cam mechanism undergoes further deflection. The repeated bending of the cam shaft caused by the downward deflection of the cam is of course an undesirable effect arising due to the rigidity of the bottle raising mechanism. A further disadvantage can arise because the glass bottles for the liquid can only be made to a certain height tolerance. And short bottles may not be lifted high enough by the lifting mechanism to form an effective seal with the aerating head.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,081 to Mabb teaches a portable apparatus for aerating liquids, including an aerating head, means for supplying gas to the aerating head, a platform for lifting a bottle containing liquid to be aerated into sealing engagement with the aerating head, means operable to raise the platform, and a resiliently compressible element interposed between the raising means and the platform. The element is arranged to be compressed when a bottle is lifted into engagement with the aerating head whereby to ensure adequate sealing pressure between the bottle and the aerating head.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,016 to Adams et al. relates to an appliance for making an aerated beverage.
Conventionally, an appliance of this type can consist of a casing in which is enclosed or mounted a container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide. Connected to this container, by a manually operated valve, is an elongate nozzle which is either permanently angled downwardly and forwardly or is pivotable between such a position and a vertical position. A bottle, which is partly filled with water, is moved upwardly relative to the nozzle so that the nozzle is immersed in the water with the nozzle in the inclined position. The bottle is held in place with its neck against a stopper at the top of the nozzle after pivoting the nozzle to the vertical position. The appliance also includes a shatterproof housing which surrounds the bottle when it is in position around the nozzle.
A manually operated valve is actuated a few times and carbon dioxide gas is thus introduced into the water. The safety valve is provided which releases any excess pressure which may occur in the bottle which may thereafter be removed from the appliance. Its contents are either used in its form, as soda water, or as a concentrate flavoring syrup added to obtain an aerated beverage such as lemonade, tonic water, or cola, etc.
Such a construction is relatively complex and expensive to manufacture.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,016 to Adams et al. teaches an appliance for making an aerated beverage. The appliance includes a casing, a support member pivotally mounted on the casing, a connection carried by the support member for mounting a container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide, a shatterproof housing for a bottle of water carried by the support member, a nozzle communicating with the connection and extending from the support member downwardly within the housing, a stopper for engaging in the neck of a bottle, means for supporting the bottle in the housing so that the stopper is engaged therein, and a safety pressure valve connected to the interior of the bottle when the stopper is engaged in its neck.
The pivotable connection between the casing and the support member causes the shatterproof housing, the nozzle, the stopper, and the container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide all to pivot therewith relative to the casing as a pivotal assembly from a first position in which the bottle can be introduced into or removed from the housing and a second position in which the means for supporting the bottle engage the bottle to prevent its removal.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,994 to Mabb relates to apparatus for aerating carbonated water.
Known types of aerating apparatus include industrial plants for large scale production of bottled beverages including carbonated water. Smaller plants of a commercial size for use in making carbonated drinks at the location of sale to the public is provided. For example a bar or restaurant, and portable machines for domestic household use. The last mentioned devices are simple and compact compared with the industrial and commercial carbonating plants, and have become popular in recent years.
It is well known that the carbonation of water is improved if the water is chilled prior to introducing the carbon dioxide gas. For this reason it is usual to include in the known industrial and commercial plants a cooler for cooling the water before carbonation. In the case of the known portable machines intended for domestic use, however, incorporating a cooling mechanism for cooling the water is not considered a practical proposition since it would complicate the device, substantially increase its cost and make it less compact.
Consequently, it is suggested that bottles of water be chilled in a refrigerator before being carbonated using the portable machines, but this is often inconvenient. As a solution to this drawback, it has been proposed to provide the portable apparatus with a detachable reservoir tank from which the water is drawn into a pressure chamber for carbonation. A spare tank of water is kept within the refrigerator so that it is well cooled when mounted on the apparatus. The result is satisfactory only if the entire contents of the reservoir are carbonated upon being removed from the refrigerator. Otherwise the uncarbonated water soon returns to ambient temperature. There is also a disadvantage in the need to replace continually the reservoir tank and remember to store the spare tank in the refrigerator.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,479 provides a carbonator housed entirely within the food compartment or a refrigerator.
The carbonator is connected to the water supply system, which is inconvenient since it means that the refrigerator must be plumbed in to the household water supply. The apparatus is also inconvenient to use since the refrigerator door must be opened to gain access to the controls and the discharge nozzle of the carbonator. Furthermore it enables only a relatively small volume of water to be cooled ready for carbonation so it is not capable of succession. An additional disadvantage is that the carbonated water is discharged under pressure which can cause foaming and splashing within the refrigerator.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,994 to Mabb teaches a solution to the above drawbacks. In accordance with a first broad aspect resides in a domestic refrigerator that has a cold food compartment defined within a walled cabinet including a door, and a carbonating apparatus mounted within the cold chamber and operable to deliver carbonated liquid to a discharge nozzle. The carbonating apparatus is mounted on the inside of the refrigerator door and a sealed pressure chamber and a reservoir, both exposed to the temperature in the cold compartment. Valve means to control supply of liquid to the pressure chamber from the reservoir tank and discharge of liquid from the pressure chamber to the nozzle. A gas supply valve for controlling supply of pressurized gas from a gas source to the pressure chamber. An exhaust valve operable to release the gas pressure in the pressure camber. A control arrangement extending through the refrigerator door to be operable from outside the cold compartment. A the discharge nozzle is mounted to deliver liquid on the outer side of the door.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,541 to Harris relates to carbonating water to make fizzy drinks.
The portable carbonating machines currently available for use in the home are entirely mechanically operated. A person using one of these machines is required to perform a series of manual operations in a specified sequence, if a satisfactory result is to be achieved. As a result, children and persons unfamiliar with this kind of carbonating apparatus can experience difficulty in using the machines. Portable carbonators of the mechanical type are described, for example, in Patent Specification Nos. GB No. 1453363, GB No. 1468469, and GB No. 2026882.
A carbonating apparatus includes a carbonating chamber. First valve means for controlling admission of liquid to and discharge of carbonated liquid from the chamber. A gas jet nozzle mounted in the chamber for injecting carbon dioxide gas into liquid contained in the chamber. Means for connecting the jet nozzle to a source of pressurized gas including second valve means for controlling the supply of gas. Pressure releasing means communicating with an upper part of the chamber and including third valve means. The first, second, and third valve means are electrically actuable and controlled by electronic control means which is so programmed that in response to a start signal supplied to the control means, the first valve means is actuated for the admission of liquid to the chamber to substantially fill the chamber. After closure of the first valve means, the second valve means is actuated one or more times for periods of set duration or when gas is to be supplied to the jet nozzle and injected into the liquid. After termination of the gas supply and a short delay the third valve means is opened to release the pressure in the chamber. Following further short delay after opening the exhaust valve the first valve means may be actuated for carbonated liquid to be discharged from the chamber.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,541 to Harris teaches a control means including an electronic timer control device which actuates the first valve means for a predetermined time for admission of liquid into the chamber, and enables the first valve means to be actuated to discharge liquid from the chamber after a predetermined delay has elapsed after opening the third valve means. A timer control device has the advantage of simplifying the apparatus by avoiding the need for sensor or feedback signals to determine when each stage in the operation has been completed and the next can be commenced. However, means to provide such signals is desirable and is included in the apparatus.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,536 to Adolfsson relates to apparatus for supplying gas to a liquid in a container has been; a gas conduit discharging thereinto for preparing aerated beverages. Arranged in the upper part of the container is an orifice through which liquid is introduced into the container.
For the purpose of preparing aerated beverages on a small scale, for example in the home, apparatus are known by means of which carbon dioxide can be supplied to water in a bottle, the water then being flavored with a flavoring substance. In the preparation of such beverages, it is necessary first to fill a bottle with water up to a given level, and then to hold the bottle firmly gripped in the apparatus while supplying carbon dioxide to the water. The bottle is then removed from the apparatus and the flavoring substance added. The beverage is then ready to be poured into a drinking glass or like vessel.
In addition to being relatively complicated, since among other things it requires the use of a separate bottle whose shape and size are adapted to the apparatus in question, the aforedescribed procedure for preparing aerated beverages is also encumbered with other problems and safety risks.
Among other things, it is difficult to obtain a good seal when using standard bottles, since the bottles can vary greatly in height. In addition, risks are involved when subjecting return bottles to pressure, since in addition to uneven manufacturing quality the bottles may have been damage during previous use or in transportation. Further, in the case of known apparatus the bottle can be pressurized without having been filled with liquid, which presents a risk of serious injury should the bottle explode. It is also possible with known apparatus to overfill the bottle with liquid, rendering it impossible to supply sufficient carbon dioxide to the liquid. In order to aerate a liquid effectively in a container, it is necessary to provide above the surface of the liquid a space in which the gas can be compressed.
It has also been proposed to introduce carbon dioxide into a liquid enclosed in a container fixed in an apparatus, and to pour the aerated liquid directly from the container into a glass. The use of this container is also relatively complicated. However, and in some respects the arrangement is unsafe. For example, it is possible with such known apparatus to pressurize an empty container. Furthermore, it is possible to begin to pour liquid from the container while the container is still under high pressure.
Apparatus of the kind mentioned in the aforementioned disadvantages are eliminated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,569.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,536 to Adolfsson teaches that the filling orifice of the container is provided with a closure means which is arranged to close the orifice automatically in conjunction with supplying gas to the container. Among other things, such an arrangement obviates the need for additional manual handling of the container when supplying carbon dioxide thereto. Such additional manual handling readily being forgotten. Furthermore, with such an arrangement the filling orifice is normally open, which facilitates both filling of the container and the pouring of liquid therefrom.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,282 Brooks relates to a portable apparatus for carbonating water to prepare carbonated drinks.
In one known form of liquid carbonating apparatus the liquid to be carbonated is placed into a bottle and the bottle is loaded into a carbonating machine. A seal member is adapted to engage and seal closed the neck of the bottle, while a tube carrying a gas nozzle extends through the seal member and down into the bottle for injecting carbon dioxide gas into the liquid container in the bottle. The upper end of the gas tube is connected to a gas cylinder via a valve which is operated manually to supply gas to the injection nozzle. In order to limit the maximum pressure within the bottle, an exhaust passage is provided through the seal member and communicates with atmosphere through a relief valve which is arranged to open when the maximum pressure is exceeded.
In general, the known carbonating apparatus of the above type operates satisfactorily. It does, however, suffer from certain drawbacks.
Difficulty is sometimes experienced in achieving a satisfactory seal between the bottle and the sealing member, for example, as a result of variations in bottle heights due to manufacturing tolerances.
In an attempt to solve the problem of the seal member and the bottle neck becoming forced apart by the pressure generated in the bottle during carbonation so that leakage occurs between the bottle and seal member, it has been proposed to support the seal member on a movable wall member, i.e. a diaphragm, or a piston, whose upper surface has an area greater than that of the bottle neck and is exposed to the same pressure as that which exists in the bottle. For this purpose a chamber defined on the upper side of the wall member communicates with the exhaust passage through the seal member. With this arrangement, the seal member is pressed down against the bottle neck with increasing force as the gas pressure rises thereby reversing the tendency for the bottle and seal member to move apart. The arrangement is not however without problems. The resultant downward force on the seal member is only obtained once a positive pressure has been created in the chamber above the movable wall. An initial seal is still required between the bottle and the seal member. As the pressure of the first burst of gas injected into the bottle is felt within the bottle neck before it reaches the chamber above the movable wall the initial sealing pressure must be capable of preventing the seal member from disengaging the bottle under this burst of pressure.
A spring or the natural resilience of the diaphragm may be utilized in an attempt to ensure the initial sealing engagement. But, the magnitude of the initial sealing pressure required can lead to the seal member becoming damaged or worn by the bottle loading operation, especially if the bottle happens to be twisted as it is inserted.
It has also been suggested to use an inflatable sealing member which is inserted into the bottle neck and is expanded into sealing engagement with the neck by the pressure of the gas delivered into the bottle. In order to operate correctly, only a small initial clearance is allowable between the sealing member and the bottle. Since it must be introduced into the bottle neck there is still a danger of it becoming worn and damaged if the bottle is not positioned in accurate alignment with it. An inflatable sealing member is also more complicated and expensive to manufacture.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,536 to Adolfsson teaches an apparatus for carbonating liquid contained in a bottle including sealing means for engaging and sealing closed the neck of the bottle, gas injecting means projecting downwardly from the sealing means for injecting gas into the liquid, means for supporting the bottle in a predetermined position with the neck of the bottle adjacent the seal means and the gas injecting means extending down into the liquid in the bottle, movable wall means carry the sealing means and movable under pressure in a chamber defined on the side thereof remote from the sealing means, and wall displacing means actuable the movable wall means downwardly for moving the sealing means before or as gas is first injected into the bottle from a position spaced above the bottle neck to a position of firm sealing engagement with the neck.
The teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,607 to Child et al. and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,371 to Child et al. are of similar construction as those discussed in the patents, supra. Numerous innovations for a counter with integral carbonated beverage dispenser have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.